Valve operating mechanism



O. B. RUFUS VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Aug. 18, 1942.

Filed Feb. 152940 2 Sheets-Shea): 1

|NVENTOR- OTTO B- RUFUS Patented Aug. 18, 1942 1 VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Otto B. Ruins, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Lathrop-Paulson Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 15, 1940, Serial No. 318,995

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 137-21) This invention relates to valve operating mech-' anism. It is particularly useful in connection with milk weighing containers and other liquid containers.

An object of the invention is to provide extremely simple mechanism for operating the valve used in weigh cans and other liquid containers. A further object is to provide valve operating mechanism oi few parts, which can be lifted apart for cleaning aiter operation. A

further object is to provide valve operating mechanism which is efi'ective in operating the valve, but which permits disassembly of the parts without manipulating bolts, nuts, and other like connections. Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is ilustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical sectional view of appa- The container A may be of any suitable construction. For example, a container such as shown in Lathrop U. 8. Patent No. 2,100,142, which issued November 23, 1937, may be 'employed. The present invention, however, has

nothing to do'with the container per se and may be illustrated clearly with reference to the outlet with which the receptacle is equipped. The. outlet is indicated generally by the letter A. The receptacle may be equipped with the usual type of cover B, as partially illustrated in Fig. 1.

The outlet A, in the illustration given, consists of a metal ring ll provided with a depending tubular skirt II. A transverse beam l2 carried by the skirt portion provides a support for the lower reduced portion ll of the guide rod ll. The to guide rod I4 is cut away near its lower end to provide a shoulder l5 resting upon the cross bar I! and supporting the rod l4 fixedly thereon.

The upper end of the guide rod H is slidably received within a recess I. in the head I I. The

head I1 is equipped with a threaded extension I! received within the threaded opening of the clamping member IS. A leather gasket or sealing member 20 is clamped between the'members I! and I9.

The valve 2| comprises a fiat member received within the valve outlet A to form a closure therefor.- The valve 2| is provided centrally with a tubular stem 22 which receives the guide and fixedly mounted upon the top portion of the hollow stem 22. In the illustration given, the lower closure 24 of the cylinder 23 receives the stem 22 and 'is welded or otherwise permanently secured thereto. A portion of the tube 22 extends beyond the closure plate 24 to provide a stop 25. The piston cylinder 23 may be formed in any suitable manner. In the illustration given, it consists of an inverted cup member having its lower open side equipped with threads to receive the closure 24. The upper end of the piston cylinder 23 is tapped to receive the fitting 28 to which a rubber hose or other conduit for compressed air, etc., may be attached. The lower end portion of the cylinder 23 is provided with a drain passage 21 for permitting liquid condensed withi the chamber to escape and fall upon the cover B.

It will be noted that the head i1 is slidably received within the cylinder 23 and that it provides a sealed chamber between the head itself and the top of cylinder 23. I

Operation In the operation of the device, when compressed air or other operating fluid is passed through the fitting 26 into the chamber above head l'l, downward movement oi! the head I1 is prevented because the guide rod I4 rests permanently upon the cross bar i2. The cylinder 23 is, however, free to move upon thefixed piston head I1. As a result, therefore, the cylinder 23 moves upwardly, carrying with it the hollow stem 22 and the valve 2|. As the closure member 24 approaches the head l'l, stop member 25 is brought against head I1 and is cushioned against the air between head I! inside top portion of cylinder 22.

When the compressed air is released, the weight or the valve 2|, the stem 22, and the cylinder casing 22 causes the valve to drop to closing position. It will be noted that in this operation also, there is a cushioning effect produced by the air trapped in the space between the top of the cylinder 22 and the head ll. While the air is free to escape through the fitting 28, the opening is small so that there is a building up of pressure as the cylinder 23 moves downwardly which cushions the last portion of movement of the valve 2|, bringing it slowly against the outlet A.

To clean the apparatus, the parts may be, for the greater extent, merely separated and cleaned. For example, the guide rod It may be lifted out of the socket provided in the cross bar 12 and then rod II. A closed piston'cylinder 22 is secured to slid out of the hollow stem 22. The closure plate means for operating the valve to and from closing position while employing less parts and while at the same time providing parts which may be separated in a modicum of time for cleaning. Since the cylinder rises and the valve opens simultaneously, the operator can readily see when the valve is open or closed as the cylinder is above the cover and in plain view.

While in the foregoing specification, I have set forth certain details for the purpose of illustrat-' ing the invention, it will be understood that such details may be modified widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a receptacle equipped with an outlet opening and an inclined cover extending over said receptacle and provided with an aperture therein, a valve closing said opening, a guide rod supported by said receptaclein said opening, a hollow valve stem secured to said valve and receiving said rod, said stem extending through the aperture in said cover, a closed piston cylinder secured to said hollow stem, said cylinder being provided with a drain opening in the lower portion thereof extending over said inclined receptacle cover, a head carried by said rod and slidably received in said cylinder, said head providing a pressure chamber thereabove in said cylinder, and means for introducing iluid under pressure in the upper portion 0 aid cylinder.

2. In combination with a receptacle equipped with'an outlet opening and an inclined cover extending over said receptacle and provided with an aperture therein, a valve closing said opening, a guide rod supported by said receptacle in said opening, a hollow valve stem secured to said valve and receiving said rod, said stem extending through the aperture in said cover, a closed piston cylinder secured to said hollow stem, said cylinder being provided with a drain opening in the lower portion thereof extending over said inclined receptacle cover, the rod extending above the hollow stem, a head carried on theupper end of said rod and slidably received in said cylinder, said head providing a pressure chamber thereabove in said cylinder, and means for introducing fluid under pressure in the upper portion of said cylinder.

3. In combination with a receptacle equipped with an outlet opening and an inclined cover extending over said receptacle'and provided with an aperture therein, a valve closing said opening, a guide rod supported by said receptacle in said opening, a hollow valve stem secured to said valve and receiving said rod, said stem extending through the aperture in said cover, a closed piston cylinder secured to said hollow stem, said cylinder being provided with a drain opening in the lower portion thereof extending over said inclined receptacle cover, the rod extending above the hollow stem, a head carried on the upper end of said rod and slidably received in said cylinder, said head providing a pressure chamber thereabove in said cylinder, and means for introducing fluid under pressure in the upper portion of said cylinder, the piston head being slidably mounted on the rod so that the valve, valve stem, head, and cylinder can be removed as a unit from the receptacle.

O'I'IO B. RUFUS, 

